Fusible link.



w. 0 TEAGUE.

FUSIBLE LINK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1911.

1,300,046. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

ln ven ror. Walfer 0.. Te'ague Y/mdWkW AHy's.

STATES PATENT orrion.

' "RE ALTER 0. TEAG'UE, F BROOK (LINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, ZBY'MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 FIRE PROTECTION INSURANCE SECURITIES COMPANY, OF BOSTON,

1lrIAS$AGHUSETTS, A CORPORATION.

FUSIBLE LINK. I

income.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Application filed June 28,1917. Seriallfio. 1'77,566

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WALTER O. TEAGUE, a citizen of the United States, resldlng at Brookline, county of Norfolk, State of lhis invention relates broadly to links of ,that type employed in conjunction with automatic sprinklers for fire extinguishing apparatus. These link parts are positively held together, against force tending to their So hold, these links retain their assembled relation until'the temperature adjacent the sprinkler rises to a predetermined degree at which,

the fusible material is melted and the parts separate.

An ob ect of this invention 18 to pro- I vide a link which will be positive and sensitively certain in action and will be all capable of normally exerting sufficient tensile strength without danger of separation and release of the sprinkler system. 1

Another obj ectof the invention is to provide a construction in which a' positive separation of the link members will instantly take' place when the temperature in the vi cinity of the link is raised suiliciently to cause the melting of the fusible material which serves to secure the link members in assembled relation.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a fusible link which shall comprise a minimum number of parts of a form which may be cheaply and readily manufactured.

Qther objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a selected embodiment of this invention in which: s

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the link'in Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the link before the fusible material has been applied;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofthe link showing the face opposite that shown in Fig. 4, and with the fusible material inplace;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of one of the members forming the link.

In this preferred embodiment, thelink is composed oftwo members -1 and 2. These members are identical in shape and configuration and, when placed in superposed re lation and so retained by a fusible substance, form the complete link. 1

As the members are alike, it will be neces- I sary to describe but one. For example, the

member 1 is of an elongatedfia't form andhas means at one end for engagin one of the leverarms 3 of the sprinkler. uch e11- gaging means is here shown as an aperture l which is preferably formed adjacent one end in the medial axis of the link. The

opposite end of the link is preferably cut away or otherwiseformed with a recess 5. When the link members are inassembled form they have an inversely and oppositely disposed position so that each aperture 4 is opposed toa recess 5. Such structure permits each lever arm-3 to project through an aperture in one member.

' Means areniprovide'd'and are preferably formed on each body-surface so that the superposed members may be held a definite distance apart and thus govern the thickness-of the fusible substance placed between the'two members. For this purpose there are shown pairs ofsmall points 6 punched out adjacent each apertured end of each member. These four points serve to define the space between the body portions of the assembled link members which is occupied by a "fusible'substance such as metallic solder 1w 1 In order to renderthe l'ink'of sufiicient tensile strength to resist the forces exerted by the lever arms 3 of the sprinkler. head tendingto separate the link members, cooperative engaging means are provided on each member. In this'embodiment, these oooperating -means comprise hearing In 8 and 9 which are preferably formed integrally with 'eachlink'member. I 'lhese bearinglugs 8 and 9 are preferably formed by being struckoutwardlylfrom the each member by the formation of the bear-- body portions of the metallic members and ber extends therefore across the spacedefined by the points 6 and within theadjacently presented opposed aperture of'the other member. c

The apertures, left in the body portion of log lugs, permit the fusible solder 7 to run therein. This solder, solidified in these apertures, forms a plurality of transverse rivets lQand 13 of fusible metal which add to the efficiency of the link.

The bearing lugs and points of engagement of the-links by the lever arms of the usual sprinkler head are preferably alined so that the force exerted by the lever arms in substantially a direct line with these bearinglugs;

When the fusible substance, such as the usual solder 'Z, is melted, under predetermined temperature conditions, the angled bearing lugs effect a camming function.

The opposed lugs of the assembled members are in immediate contactso that the to the angularity of the bearing lugs, is

partially resolved into a force tendingto thrust apart the members in adlrection obliquely to the planes of the two members in normal position.

In the preferred construction which is illustrated asan embodimentof the invention each member isprovided with a pair of bearing lugs medially alinedlongitudinally of the member but the invention is not to berestricted in its broader aspect to the number or to the location of the bearing lugs. So also these lugs are shown of generally rectangular shape' and of flat contour sc that, when the 'camming action takes place, plane surfaces are in slidingi contact; but here again the invention is not to heme stricted to the particular shape or contour of the bearing lugs so long as the shape and contour is-"of a characterto effect the described functions.

These bearing lugs provide a linking means which is strongly resistant to the usual lever arm tension at normal temperaaction of a pair of dies.

tures and yet ellects a sudden and positive snapping apart of the link members whenthe predetermined temperature is reached.

The two link members are preferably made of thin metal and are given the flat form shown with the intermediate film of solder. The heat of the surrounding atmosphere or objects may, therefore, readily pass tain action of the device in response to the predetermined temperature when reached.

Each link n'iembcr-is preferably, as shown, an exact duplicate of the other and the construction is such that each link is readily cut out and shaped complete by the single Hence the link members are not only of the minimum numer necessary to make a complete link, but ihey arc rapidly, easily, and cheaply manulactureo.

In order to insure ease of assembling and to eliminate accuracy of finish one bearing lug as 8 is made slightly larger than the other as 9 and consequently the corresponding aperture 10 is slightly larger than the aperture 11. When the pair of members are then assembled the smaller lug on the one enters the larger aperture in the other and vice versa. This not only facilitates the assembling but it also leaves somewhat larger transverse openings or spaces to provide for the transverserivets 12 and 13 of solder or fusible material.

The contour and area and shape, whether fiat or otherwise, of the bearing lugs is not essential although the flat shape illustrated, and the generally semi-circular contour, and the angle of about degrees made with the body of the member have been found to give most excellent results.

1. A. fusible link comprising a pair of similar members adapted to be in ersely and oppositely disposed and so held together by a fusible substance, each of said members comprising a substantially flat body portion having means for engaging an arm of a sprinkler head and having a bearing lug formed on said body portion and proyecting obliquely therefrom, each of said members being apertured adjacent its lug so that, when the members are assembled, the lug of one member may be inserted through the aperture in the other member and the hearing lugs may contact and a fusible substance forming an intervening film between the members and also a substantially transverse rivet through said apertures.

2. A fusible link comprising a pair of similar members adapted to beinversely and oppositely disposed and so held together by a fusible substance, each of said members comprising a substantially flat body portion having means for engaging an arm of a sprinkler head, a pair of bearing lugs projecting obliquely from the opposite faces of said body portion, apertures in the said body portion opposite said lugs, one lug and its corresponding aperture being respectively larger than the other lug and its corresponding aperture, so that when the members are assembled inversely and oppositely, the smaller lug of each member will enter the larger aperture of the other member, and

the smaller lug of each member will contact on its surface ivith the surface of the larger lug of the other member, means for slightly spacing the body portions of said members to determine the thickness of the intervening film of fusible substance, anda fusible similar members adapted to be inversely and oppositely disposed and so held together by a fusible substance,,.each' of said l'l'lGIIlbBlS comprising a substantially fiat body portion having means for engaging an arm of a sprinkler head, a pair of bearing lugs on each of said body portions, each pair pro jecting obliquely from opposite faces of said body portion, the lugs on the members which project in the same direction forming complementary pair's,.each of said members being apertured so that,'when the members are assembled, the bearing lug of one member may pass Within the aperture in the other member and be positioned in contact With and substantially parallel to its complementary lug, said fusible substance being placed in a film between said members and also in said apertures to form substantially transverse rivets whereby the members may be held together, and projections on the faces of said members which, when the-members are assembled, determine the thickness of the film of fusible substance between the members.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WALTER O. TEAGUE. 

